Coronation weekend: How to get around London, what roads are closed and are buses and trains working?
Londoners have been warned the Coronation weekend will lead to numerous road closures in central London, with services likely to be “very busy”.
Transport for London confirmed there are “no planned closures” of the London Underground network, but warned during the day on Saturday particularly at key interchanges it will be considerably busier than usual.
Coronation revellers and tourists were also warned to expect “short-term safety measures such as queuing, temporary station or road closures, or changes to the way customers enter or exit a station”, as millions flock to the capital to see King Charles III crowned monarch.
Road closures will also lead to some routes in Westminster in particular being diverted, while TFL told people to “avoid the area” by car if not attending events.
TFL said Parliament Square at the junction of St Margaret Street will have extensive road closures in place to facilitate the coronation, with large crowds and increased traffic congestion.
While encouraging Londoners to walk and cycle across the capital, it added the area around Buckingham Palace and Constitution Hill in particular will be closed off to the public.
Street parties are also taking place across London so some residential roads will be shut, with Londoners told to check with their local authorities.
Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “We are delighted that London is hosting ceremonial events for the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and look forward to welcoming visitors and Londoners alike onto the transport network for this historic occasion.
“We expect central London to be very busy and the large-scale events will mean road closures in central London, so I’d advise people to check before they travel. I’d also encourage Londoners and those visiting to mark the celebrations to make the most of the public transport options, as there are no planned closures.”
TFL added that major stations will also have taxi marshalls over the weekend to ensure Coronation revellers can get to their destination safely. These include at Kings Cross, Paddington, Liverpool Street, Victoria, Kings Cross St Pancras, Euston, London Bridge and Waterloo.
Cabs, taxis and private hire vehicles
Private hire vehicles are also available, such as Uber and Bolt, but road closures may prevent access to central London routes.
A spokesperson for Gett, which is used to hail black cabs, said: “Any time there are significant travel disruptions in London, whether they are road closures or rail strikes, we expect there to be a spike in people looking to hire a cab as an alternative. “
“Of course with such a historic event taking place, that does heighten things slightly – we’re expecting huge crowds to gather in Central London to celebrate the King’s Coronation, and security around the closed roads to be extremely tight.
“The number of cabbies on the road might also dip slightly as they take part in their own celebrations on the day. However, London plays host to dozens, if not hundreds, of events every year that involve road closures, and our teams are no strangers to dealing with disruption – we have a robust set of processes in place to make sure our customers can still get where they need to go during times like these.”
“For example, to help our passengers and drivers find each other as easily as possible, we’ve enabled clear pick-up points in the Gett app at major hot spots like Green Park station and Trafalgar square. We’ll be monitoring activity closely throughout the day, so that we can react quickly to make sure that supply and demand stay balanced.”